The 5 Best Video Games

In honor of National Video Game Day, we decided to bring in an expert and our first male guest house contributor (gasp!). But seriously, we’d like you to meet Seth Teston, our newest house guest and a dear friend…

Drum-roll, Please…The Best Video Games:

It’s September 12th! . . . So what it’s just another day doing regular everyday stuff right? WRONG! It’s National Video Games Day! If you are a video game enthusiast like I am, then this day could be a good excuse to break out the controller, hit the power button, and play some of your favorite games. The first Nintendo wasn’t named the Nintendo Entertainment System because it’s sole purpose was to give you chores. It was named “entertainment system” because you are supposed to have fun! So let’s have some fun!

5. Super Mario Games

Let’s face it. Super Mario games are just plain fun. You run and jump until you reach your goal. IT’S TERRIFIC! Of course, more goes into it than just that.You must be cautious and watch out for turtles and goombas and ghosts (Oh my!). And of course you can get power-ups like flowers that let you shoot fire balls and magic mushrooms that make you grow big. But let’s forget all that psychopsilocybin nonsense and focus on the two most important things here in the Super Mario Universe: RUNNING and JUMPING. With RUNNING and JUMPING this game has entertained just about anybody who have picked up a controller in their life and jumped through the Mushroom Kingdom. Also with RUNNING and JUMPING this game saved the video game industry back in the 1980’s when all seemed lost for 8-bit entertainment. If you have a Nintendo device, then play some Mario on National Video Games Day.

Preferred way to play: If you are playing the original Super Mario Bros. Then invite a few friends over and take turns at trying to beat this groundbreaking platformer game. (There is a 2-player mode)

4. Tetris

So do you think video games have the capacity to teach you something? What about making your brain work more efficiently? If you ask me I wall say yes to both. Video games can always teach you something whether it’s to always jump at the right moment or to avoid scary men with big guns. However, only a few games can activate the brain in a certain way that it becomes more efficient. We call most of these games “puzzle games” and Tetris is one of the most famous puzzles of all. It was created in the Soviet Union by Alexey Pajitnov, and released for consumption in 1984. By 1986 it came to America, released on IBM computers as a port. Nintendo released the most successful version on the original GameBoy, but none of that really matters. What matters is that this block building game gives your brain a complete cerebral cortex workout!

Studies have shown that as someone plays more Tetris there brains become more proficient at completing the games overall task, to stack blocks and stack them quickly. As the brain becomes more proficient at completing these tasks, general skills like critical thinking, reasoning, language and processing are boosted. Check out an article that talks about this phenomenon.

Everyone loves adventures. You set off into new lands, meeting new people and overcoming new challenges. It seems that Link (the main character in Zelda) is always going on epic adventures and A Link to The Past is one of his greatest. This game was released on Super Nintendo back in 1991 and it absolutely astounded the people who played it. Few games at that time had yet to really realize their full potential, but Zelda‘s third effort nailed it. Link takes off in pursuit of the Evil Wizard, Ganon, who has kidnapped Princess Zelda and is of course trying to destroy the world. His only way of reaching Ganon is by conquering the games various dungeons, while discovering numerous useful items and becoming more powerful. .

Preferred way of playing: Loading it on my SNES emulator (computer program that emulates a Super Nintendo) , turning off the sound, and listening to Death Metal instead. EPIC!

2. EA Sports Games

Ahh the days of college. Broing out with a couple of other bros, playing match-after-match on Madden and drinking our favorite bro beer. Wait, I never considered myself a “bro” but I did like playing sports games with my friends. FIFA 11 was my favorite right next to Fight Night Round 4. Some might prefer the NHL games. No one likes the NASCAR games. And most bros and non-bros love NCAA or Madden. Also if you haven’t noticed by the picture, Madden looks outstanding this year. Just remember to always play EA Sports games and drink responsibly.

Preferred way to play: Grab a buddy and compete over who is buying the next six pack. Grab several buddies and make a tournament bracket for you competition. The losers pool in for the beer. Side note: drink responsibly and don’t break the controllers just because you suck.

1. Pac-Man

Pac-man has to be the video game character that relates most to stoners. Why? Because he eats everything! He’s a yellow circle that has a fraction of it’s total area missing. You see this “Pac-man” has only one goal and that is to eat. Probably because he has the munchies. Nonetheless, he travels through mazes, gobbling up small white dots until they a all gone. Then the man plows through another bag of potato chips, Pac-man goes through yet another level eating to his heart’s content while avoiding ghosts. Whoa man, did you hear that?! His enemies are ghosts! Let’s just face it, man, Pac-man is on another level, just like that Mario is tripping on those magic mushrooms.

But seriously go play Pac-man. It’s a terrific game that pushes the player to outwit the game’s opposition (the ghosts) while trying to achieve the most basic of human functions, eating.

Perferred way of playing: An arcade machine, but those are hard to find. If you really want to experience something great, get the Pac-man Championship Edition DX on Xbox Live Arcade or Playstation Network. It will blow your mind.

What Are Your Favorites?

So there you have it. Five great ideas for games to pick up and play for this year’s National Video Games Day. So what are some of your favorites? Send me some comments about what games you’re going to play on this National Video Games Day.

Also don’t forget that this is the week of September 11th and we need to honor both the victims of that tragedy inflicted upon our nation and the service men of the United States.

Meet The House Guest: Seth TestonSeth lives in Tallahassee, Florida and is pursuing a masters in Environmental Science. He loves working out his thumbs on the video controller but also digs biking, kayaking, cooking and doing cool random activities.